Organic electronic devices define a category of products that include an active layer. Protecting an organic electronic device from environmental factors, such as oxygen and moisture, aids in maintaining the integrity of the active layer, and thereby the shelf-life of the electronic device. Thus, the organic electronic device often includes “getter” materials, such as adsorbent and absorbent materials. A getter material can be placed within an enclosure containing the organic electronic device to protect the materials most sensitive to contaminant gases, for example, the active layers.
Manufacture of organic electronic devices presents certain process limitations to the use of getters. For example, some getters generally require heat for activation, typically at temperatures of up to about 650° C. In contrast, active organic materials in organic electronic devices typically do not tolerate temperatures much above about 300° C. Thus, activation has been accomplished by heating to high temperatures (i.e., about 400° C.) inside of a convection oven (“Thermal Swing Adsorption”) or subjecting the zeolite to a very “dry” environment using purge gas and/or vacuum to strip away water molecules (“Pressure Swing” process). High manufacturing costs are associated with both these scenarios due to long process times and expensive heating/vacuum equipment.
Thus, there remains a need for simplifying and expediting the manufacturing of such devices. In addition, improved processes for activating getter materials are needed.